Automatic analyzers analyze biological samples such as blood and urine (referred to as the sample hereunder) qualitatively and quantitatively by adding thereto reagents that react specifically to specific ingredients and by having the reactions measured with an absorption photometer and a scattered light photometer.
The techniques regarding such photometers include those disclosed in Patent Literature 1 (JP-2008-8794-A) involving an analyzer that has a transmitted light measurement system measuring the absorbance of a test liquid through which light from a light source is transmitted, and a reflected light measurement system measuring the intensity of the light emitted from the light source and reflected from the test liquid. The transmitted light measurement system is used to measure the absorbance of the test liquid until the reflected light measurement system detects the reflected light of a predetermined intensity value. Once the reflected light measurement system detects the reflected light of the predetermined intensity value, the reflected light measurement system is used thereafter to measure the intensity of the reflected light from the test liquid.
Patent Literature 2 (JP-10-332582-A) discloses techniques regarding a turbidity measurement device including: a light source that causes light to be incident on a measurement target liquid held in a light transmissive cell; an incidence-side integrating sphere that captures scattered light reflected from the cell; an exit-side integrating sphere that captures transmitted light having passed through the cell and the scattered light therefrom; an incidence-side scattered light sensor attached to a part deviating from a light transmission path of the incidence-side integrating sphere, the incidence-side scattered light sensor sensing the scattered light captured by the incidence-side integrating sphere; an exit-side transmitted light sensor attached to an extension from the light transmission path of the exit-side integrating sphere, the exit-side transmitted light sensor sensing the transmitted light captured by the exit-side integrating sphere; an exit-side scattered light sensor attached to a part deviating from the light transmission path of the incidence-side integrating sphere, the exit-side scattered light sensor sensing the scattered light captured by the exit-side integrating sphere; and turbidity calculation means that calculates turbidity based on sensing signals from the incidence-side scattered light sensor, the exit-side transmitted light sensor, and exit-side scattered light sensor.